The Power of Music — Sukumar Ray
Theme
A comic satire: "music" so dreadful that it causes chaos — humour through exaggeration. A light-hearted poke at tuneless self-confidence.Summary
Bhishmalochan Sharma sings so horribly that listeners and animals flee in agony. His ear-splitting "music" causes uproar — buffaloes, crows and people are driven mad; even objects seem to suffer. A buffalo finally charges and ends the singing. The "power" of his music is its power to disturb, not delight.Key points
- Built on hyperbole (wild exaggeration) for comic effect.
- Pure nonsense verse in the tradition of Sukumar Ray.
- The title is ironic — the music's power is destructive, not beautiful.
Devices
- Hyperbole, onomatopoeia, irony, comic imagery and brisk rhythm.